Three's Company: Tribute
by Thor2000
Summary: Jack and Vicki had a daughter after their series ended, but now it's the present and Cate Hennessee has lost her husband in this story devoted to John Ritter and his characters.


She was a cute and attractive brunette racing behind the restraunt as she pulled the door open to the back of her father's restraunt and hurried inside. Balancing school and her job was not easy since her mother had died, but for Jacqueline Tripper it was life as usual. She set aside her school books as her father looked up from making the salads for his patrons.  
"You're late, Jackie." He was much less spirited since his wife Vicki had died. Well, she wasn't really his wife, they never did have a marriage, but according to their incomes, it was a common-law marriage.  
"I'm sorry." She tied her apron in place and kissed him. "But I got waylaid at the library. It won't happen again."  
"Table seven needs bread and table three is waiting to give their drink orders."  
"I'm on it." Jack's vivacious daughter tied her hair into a pony tail and picked up her pad and pencil from where she left it the night before. She backed her way through the swinging doors as she looked over the crowded dining area of Jack's Bistro. A basket of bread was ready and waiting for table seven in the window as she dropped it off to them and checked on how they were doing. Another turn and she was taking drink orders from table three as well as their orders. She heard the door jingle as she noticed more patrons entering.  
"I hope you like this restraunt, Uncle Matt." Maggie Shelton held the door for her much older relative. Reverend Matthew Fordwick still walked tall and proud but his hair was now white and his face now showed the lines on a man in his late eighties. A minister from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Jefferson County, Virginia, he had not been this far west since World War Two, but his sister's daughter was a gracious hostess and a lovely lady.  
"I've never been here before, but that girl who ran the plant store really recommended it." She continued.  
"I hope they're not too spicy." Fordwick mentioned. "I don't do spicy."  
"I'm sure they'll be okay." Maggie looked up to lovely Mrs. Tripper and wished she had her figure again.  
"Welcome to Jack's Bistro, the heart of Santa Monica," Jackie started. "Do you know what you're drinking?"  
"White wine." Maggie asked.  
"Water." Her uncle replied. "You're not too spicy, are you?"  
"I'd like to think I am." Jackie answered.  
"No, dear........" Maggie thought the girl was a brunette version of her niece Brigitte. "He means the food. He can't take the spices."  
"Oh," Jackie was knocked back to attention. "We have a nice senior menu right here." She showed with her pencil to the menu. "Why don't I get your drinks and then I'll get your orders." She turned with a toss of her ponytail to help someone else as Maggie grinned watching her.  
"A brunette Brigitte........."  
"Beg pardon, dear?"  
"Oh, nothing," Maggie turned back to the table. "She looks a lot like Cate's girl." She heard her cell phone ringing in her purse and turned to answer it. Pulling it from her jacket on the back of her chair, she flicked it open and lifted it to her ear.  
"Yes," She grinned. "Oh, hi, Catie, you won't believe this, but there's a girl here who looks a lot like Bri........ Huh..............." Her eyes calmed and her grin faded. "What? Paul..."  
"What's going on?" Uncle Matt looked over.  
"Cate's husband passed away............." Maggie mentioned as her uncle became remorseful. He had met and known Paul Hennessy but for a few times, how could a young man like that go so unexpectedly?  
"Yeah, yeah.........." Maggie answered over the phone. "I'll be there. I'm sure Uncle Matt would love to help do the funeral. We'll leave tonight. Don't worry."  
"Paul..........he's the sport's writer?"  
"Yeah." Maggie was still a bit stunned.  
"He was what? 55?"  
"Yeah." Maggie gasped at the turn of events. "Well, I'll have to get us plane tickets instead of dinner." She re-looked over the room for the young lady again as she saw the man giving dinners to some of the other guests in the restraunt. Waving her hand, she gestured toward him as he turned around to her.  
"Hello," Jack grinned warmly. "I'm Jack Tripper, this is my restraunt, and what may I get you?"  
"Eyeglasses!" Maggie was stunned. He looked just like her brother-in-law Paul Hennessy!

PART TWO

Cate Hennessy was morosely quiet as she returned from the funeral. Her sister Maggie was supporting her and her three kids were quietly trailing behind them as they all tried to contemplate a life without a Paul. He was so much the life of this family in more ways than one and without him there was not much more to think of as their minds turned to worry and to even  
selfish desires.  
"Kids," Cate sat down emotionally spent on to the sofa. "Go change your clothes."  
"I don't know......" Brigitte paused before the mirror and checked herself out. "I didn't like this black dress going out, but I think it makes me look hot."  
"I can't believe you." Her sister Kerry stared at her and refused to believe it. She turned to scramble up the stairs as Brigitte turned and looked to her mother and aunt then wondered if what she had said was really that bad. Her brother, Rory, stood behind her. He was looking a bit handsome in his little suit and new haircut as he was still a bit in shock. His dad meant a lot more to him now that he was gone and he realized that he no longer had any chance to say it to him.  
"Oh god......." He mumbled to himself then looked to his mother. "Do you realize the estrogen level in this house just spiked? I'm the only guy left in a house full of women? I'm dead." He disbelievingly shook his head as he turned up the stairs. Maggie watched him scatter off as she consoled her sister.  
"Cate....." She brought her a cup of coffee. "How are you doing? Are you going to be okay?"  
"Okay?" Cate looked at her. "Okay? I just placed my husband in the ground. Never mind the fact that this is going to be a one income family, what am I going to do? Paul was............ he could be........ He was so funny. He could do and say the dumbest things, but at least he made our marriage unpredictably wonderful. I'm going to miss that."  
"I can respect that." Maggie pulled her sister closer in a way she hadn't done since they were kids. "I know."  
"I wish he could come back........."  
"Well........."  
Cate recognized that weird tone as she lifted her head and looked at her weird sister. She just stared at her for a few seconds as she tried to understand her thinking.  
"What was that, 'Well.........?'"  
"Well.........." Maggie looked back at her. "You're not going to believe this, but............ I was in this little French Bistro out in California and the guy who owned it, he looks just like Paul!" She grinned as if it was just the oddest occurrence in the world which it probably was.  
"Just like Paul?"  
"Just like Paul!" Maggie insisted. "And get this, his daughter looks just  
like Brigitte!  
"Just like Brigitte?"  
"Just like Brigitte!" Maggie insisted "Except she's a brunette and she has a brain. Sort of a Bizarro Brigitte."  
Cate looked at her sister again.  
"He's a widower, or so I'm told." Maggie continued. "Now, I'm not saying go out there and marry him, but.... I thought you would at least like to meet him."  
"In California?"  
"Yeah,"  
"Maggie," Cate stood and lightly shook her head with the implausible irony of the facts. "I am not going to go out west and marry up a guy who looks......... Looks just like Paul??"  
"Could be his twin brother!"  
Cate continued shaking her head as she stood and paced a bit. She wasn't really interested in marrying again, but........ She felt like she needed some closure.  
"Just like Brigitte?"  
"I swear........." Maggie continued. "If you brought the two of them together, I bet the space/time structure would collapse on itself!"

PART THREE

The Hennessey home was full of mourners arriving from the funeral to give Cate some support. Some of them were Paul's relatives like Grandma Knable who couldn't keep from pinching the kid's cheeks and reminding them just how much they had grown.  
"Mom," Rory came up behind his mother. "If she pinches me once more, I'm going to clock her."  
"Rory," Cate looked at him. "If she pinches, she pinches. She might not be with us much more."  
"Is that a promise?" Rory asked. "I mean, don't get my hopes up if you're not sure."  
"Go say hello to your cousins and don't let them upstairs." She lightly shoved him off. "I'm not scrubbing the bathtub again!"  
Rory just rolled his eyes as Brigitte turned away from creepy cousin Junior Healey. The former problem child had certainly grown to be tall and passable for good-looking, but she wanted nothing do with him since she recalled the exploding bra he had given her when she made fifteen.  
Kerry meanwhile was getting eyed by the son of one of one of the other guests. His name was Clifford Hanscomb and his father was a writer with which Paul had gone to school. All the way from Derry, Maine, Clifford reportedly had a uncle, an architect named Ben Hanscomb, who reportedly resembled Paul. He grinned at her as she reluctantly grinned back, but she  
was really cringing from his braces. She just rolled her eyes and strided up alongside her mother.  
"Mom," She positioned her mother. "Could you stand there and block his view?"  
"I don't believe you kids." Cate gasped as if the funeral wasn't already taxing her nerves. "You only see your relatives for only a few hours out of the year and........"  
"And that's too much, right there."  
"Look," Cate turned and gasped for strength. "They are not that bad."  
"Hey Bridge," Junior Healey was following Brigitte. "We got a bet. How big did that bra you wore get before your chest exploded?"  
"Okay, they're a study in anthropology." She turned back to Kerry. "Honey, losing your father is going to be very hard on me. Please get along with your relatives for a little while longer."  
"Okay," Kerry tossed her head with a bit of attitude. "But if Uncle Archie asks me why I'm still single when I still got a perfectly good brother, don't blame me if someone gets buried in the back yard!"  
"I've got the shovel." Bridget popped up. "Help me get Junior out there."  
Cate rolled her eyes as she regretted becoming a single mother. Her eyes looked up to William Collins, a writer from Maine. He and Paul were supposed to be pen pals or something like that, but he really thought of Paul as a mentor to him.  
"Cate," He turned to her. "Are you going to be okay? Do you need money?"  
"No, I'm alright." Cate looked at him and then his wife, Ally. "It's just........... You never see this coming. You think everything's going fine and then.................. You find yourself alone."  
"I know what you're going through." Ally admitted. "I've had horrible dreams of losing William. If I lost him ..." She turned and looked him as he pulled her close.  
"When things calm down," William continued. "Get away from things for a while. Take a vacation. Things will look better when get a clear head."  
"I don't know." Cate took a deep breath as out the corner of her eye Brigitte and Kerry dragged Junior out the back door by his legs. "I'd hate to think what that would look like."  
"Who cares what people think?" William replied. "You have to think of yourself."  
"Yeah, right." Cate hugged him for support as he gave her a brief kiss to quell her feelings. She stroked her hair back as she briefly acknowledged George Madison, another character who looked lot like Paul to her. A lot of  
people in the family were suddenly looking like Paul to her. Madison was married to Paul's cousin, Janet, as they parted briefly. Cate turned to her sister.  
"Okay," She looked at her. "Book one trip to Santa Monica for the both of us."  
"You won't regret it." Maggie hugged her sister as Ben Healey rushed to save his adopted son from the Hennessey girls.  
  
PART FOUR

  
Jack Tripper was still busy at work tasting his dishes and making sure they were exactly to his specifications as his daughter came in late again. He looked up still a bit dispirited at not having Vicki around more as his daughter and new light of his life rushed to work again.  
"Jackie," He started. "You're running late again."  
"Well," The girl looked up. "It's hard to juggle school and work."  
"Are you sure boys aren't getting in your way?" He asked. 

"Want to dust me for prints?"  
"Are you sure you can run the restraunt without me for the weekend?" Jack was preparing salads as his daughter placed her books aside and pulled out a fresh apron.  
"Of course," his daughter answered. "But do I have to stay with Grandma Hooperman? She always feeds me grits and turnip greens "  
"In China they eat squid and raw fish." He beamed to his only daughter.  
"I'll take the grits and greens." She tied her apron on, picked up her pad and went straight to work as she delivered bread to two tables and noticed another person about out of coffee. She began pouring him some more as she heard more guests entering her father's restraunt.  
"Hi," she rushed to meet them. "Have a smoking preference?"  
"Oh my god......" Cate Hennessy looked at the brunette beauty as her sister stood behind her.  
"Excuse me?" Jackie wondered.  
"I'm sorry, it's just that........." Cate was not prepared for this. It was as if Bridget had never bleached her hair. She liked it so much she wanted to go home and have her daughter return to being a brunette. "I have a daughter who looks just like you!"  
"Oh," Jackie pondered that realization a minute. "Gosh, I always thought I was one of a kind." She gestured to a table near the windows in front and passed out menus. "Now, the Trout Almandine is very good today. Can I have your drink orders ?"  
"What?" Cate couldn't stop staring. "Oh, uh, white wine........"  
"Same." Maggie looked up grinning like a Cheshire cat as Jackie shined a bit and stepped away. "What did I say? Bridget can't even say 'Trout Almandine.'"  
"The likeness is incredible..........." Cate looked back at the young girl. She was fluent and vivacious as she helped other customers in the restraunt and she seemed a bit more grounded in reality as she remained charming but not aloof. "I wonder if there was a mix up at the hospital."  
"Cate," Maggie glanced over the menu. "Her father's at eight o'clock."  
Cate turned round to the kitchen entrance and became shocked again as Jack Tripper, the restraunt owner, emerged from the kitchen and very friendlily and graciously delivered orders. She wanted to stand up and pull him close to her as she wondered of her Paul had returned to her. The likeness was incredible as Tripper was just a bit more thinner, but his sparkle and grin and complete nuance was exactly like Paul as he moved past his daughter and received instructions from her. He looked straight to Cate and Maggie as his daughter poured their drinks, delivered them to the table and rushed to help someone else.  
"Ladies," Jack looked at them. "Have you decided what you will be having tonight?"  
"How do you make your Crab Bisque?" Maggie asked.  
"Oh," Jack reacted. "Oh well, I just cook and prepare the crab and............" He noticed Cate staring at him. "Is there a problem?"  
"Problem?" Cate slowly reacted, looked at her sister and looked back to Jack. "What, oh, uh, no, it's just that.................. you just look a lot like my late husband, Paul Hennessey." She wanted to get a reaction from  
him.  
"That's a nice name he had.....has!"  
"Any relation?" Cate asked.  
"Ummmmmmmmmm, no....." Jack reacted. "No Hennessey's in my family tree."  
"You'll have to excuse my sister." Maggie looked up. "You see, Paul died just last week."  
"I'm so sorry......." Jack wanted to show his respect. "Look, anything you want, on the house....."  
"I lost my goldfish last week." Someone at the next table replied.  
"I hope he got a funeral at sea." Jack told the stranger as he secretly had to admit he was a bit smitten by Cate. "I bet you loved him very much."  
"I sure did." The guy who lost the fish answered.  
"I'm trying to show some respect to the lady, sir." Jack reacted and looked back to Cate. He cleared his throat. "Look, if you need anything tonight, let me know. I'll be glad to help you. Let my daughter know what you want you're ready." He spoke tenderly as he gave one last look as slowly slipped away to help his other guests.  
"What do you think?" Maggie leaned to her sister.  
"I don't know." Cate gasped as she wondered if she was swooning. "If I didn't know better, he could be Paul's twin brother........."

PART FIVE

Jack Tripper had checked the stove of his restraunt to make sure it was off as he turned and signed his checklist. His daughter gasped from finishing off the dishes as she pulled her apron off and tossed it into the laundry by the back door. She turned to her father.  
"So, Jackie......" He looked to her. "Would you like to see a late movie before we head home?"  
"Not tonight, dad," The brunette beauty pulled her jacket on and took her hair out from under her collar. "I'm too tired."  
"I'll buy the popcorn."  
"Another time, dad." The girl grinned and headed through the restraunt to head up stairs to the apartment above the restraunt. Feeling himself to be the luckiest man in the world, he checked the back door to the alley again to be sure it was locked then followed in his daughter's footsteps. As he started to check the door to the restraunt, he heard the bell ring on it and recognized Mrs. Hennessy returning.  
"Cate," He grinned to see her again. "What brings you back here? I was just closing up."  
"I just had to see you again." Cate couldn't help staring at him. "You look so much like my Paul!"  
Jack just grinned and bashfully looked away.  
"I bet he was a great guy." He answered.  
"He was." Cate wanted to grab and kiss him. "He could be so funny and romantic. I loved him a lot."  
"I can tell." Jack looked upon her and wished her could remove all the hurt from her. "If I was him, what would you want to say to him?"  
"I'd say.........." Cate looked away as she tried to pull her overcoat tighter. "Paul, I miss you so much. I lost you so soon and yet, my fondest memories were of being with you. You were.........." Cate looked up as Tripper provided the ear she wanted. "My life, my dreams................ I will miss you always."  
"And if you were my Vicki........." Jack looked back at her. "I'd say all the same things plus........ I was better off having known you."  
"That too........" Cate looked into his eyes as their gazes met. His hand was given as a token of support, but she pulled him closer and kissed him as he kissed her back. For a moment, she was almost with her husband again and he was with Vicki. They parted as they stared into each others eyes.  
"I'm sorry," She answered. "I don't usually..........."  
"I think you just wanted to say good-bye." Jack was a bit smitten too.  
"Look." Cate grabbed a napkin and used a marker laying around to scribble her address in Detroit. "If you're ever in the area.........."  
"I'll stop on by." Jack grinned as the sparkle returned to his eye. "But................ don't tell your kids. I'd love to scare them straight for you."  
"I'd love that." Cate laughed again as she took another look at him. "There's a lot of Paul in you too."  
"Have a good life, Cate Hennessy." Jack kissed her hand. She just beamed at his gallantry and stepped back still trapped in the spirit. A turn on her heel and she was gone. Jack locked the doors behind her as he noticed one burning candle left behind on a table. He was quite sure that all of them had been out and yet, he wasn't about to believe in spirits just yet. He started to motion to blow it out, and then hesitated and let it be.  
"Good bye, Paul..........." He replied to it and headed upstairs to his apartment.  
  
  
  
John Ritter 1948-2003  
  
  
  



End file.
